A Modern Tropical Wedding at Mahekal Beach Resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Michelle Hanko dreamed of getting married on the beach since she was a little girl, and her wish came true at her tropical destination wedding to Jeff Baran. "Once the planning began, we were drawn to the tropical foliage and bright colors of Playa del Carmen, Mexico," Michelle says. "We wanted to incorporate these to create a colorful and elegant, but unpretentious, celebration." The ceremony site was marked by an arch with tropical palms and bright florals, a grass-woven runner, and simple benches. Heading into the reception, guests found their seats with mini-margarita shot escort cards. Dinner took place in a large "palapa" near the beach, and it included plenty of tropical fuchsia flower arrangements of roses, ranunculus, birds-of-paradise, proteas, bromeliads and orchids. Guests ate fish caught the morning of the wedding. The couple also placed light-up "LOVE" marquee letters near the ocean, which doubled as a photo backdrop. Our favorite #MakeTradition Moment: "While we were visiting Mexico to plan the wedding, I fell in love with the Mexican tin star lights and papel picado (handcrafted banners), so we included both," the couple says. "We marked the dining space with the papel picado and placed the star lights over the dance floor for a bit of romance."